Unlocking the fiery secrets of Mortal Kombat 1’s Invasion mode hinges on one elusive key: the Nether Stone. To claim this powerful item, players must conquer the ultimate challenge-defeating Hellfire Scorpion, the final boss lurking in the Fire Temple Mesa. Only then can you blaze through locked gates and uncover hidden treasures scattered across the realms, revealing the full depth of Mortal Kombat 1’s latest adventure on Nintendo, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
In this Mortal Kombat 1 guide, we’ll tell you how to get the Nether Stone in Invasion, and why it’s worth going back to use it.
How to get the Nether Stone in Mortal Kombat 1
To get the Nether Stone in Mortal Kombat 1, you need to complete the Invasion Mode by progressing through various Mesa maps and defeating the final boss, Hellfire Scorpion, in the Fire Temple Mesa. This requires you to finish the main challenges in each Mesa, such as Fengian Village, Sun Do Festival, Tarkatan Colony, Shang Tsung’s Laboratory, and Living Forest, but you do not need to complete every single node or the Gateway Portal and Wu Shi Academy. Once you defeat Hellfire Scorpion, you will be rewarded with the Nether Stone, which allows you to unlock all the Locked Gates blocked by fire across the season’s maps. The Nether Stone is a key item that automatically unlocks these gates when you stand on them, granting access to hidden areas and rewards.
The Nether Stone is a reward for defeating the souped-up version of the Scorpion character – the final boss of the final Mesa in season 1.
You’ll need to work your way through each of the Invasion season 1 Mesas and the entire Fire Temple to reach Scorpion. When you beat him, he’ll drop his cool seasonal skin and the Nether Stone, which will allow you to go back and revisit old Mesas for new rewards.
As far as we can tell, there is no way to get the Nether Stone early or skip to Scorpion. These gates are intended to be post-game areas for the Invasion mode.
What do you get for using the Nether Stone?
The Nether Stone in Mortal Kombat 1 is a key item obtained by defeating the final boss, Hellfire Scorpion, in the Fire Temple during Invasion Mode. Once acquired, the Nether Stone allows players to unlock all areas blocked by fiery gates across the season’s maps. This unlock grants access to hidden treasures, skins, and other rewards that are otherwise inaccessible behind these fire walls. Importantly, a single Nether Stone unlocks every locked gate for that season, enabling players to revisit previous zones and collect all the secrets and rewards hidden within.
Each Mesa has a Nether Stone gate, so you’ll unlock a ton of bonus fights once you have the stone in your possession.
Once you unlock each gate, you’ll find a suite of “boss” encounters for you to take on. Most of these fights aren’t multi-round kombats, but they do have some kind of obnoxious modifier for you to deal with. The enemies in these areas are also – usually – high-level (over 20), so make sure you’re around there before you dive in. We dinged level 30 (max level) off of beating Scorpion and had very little trouble with any of the post-game fights.
As for what you’ll get for completing these optional fights, you can pick up a ton of Talismans, as well as both secret chests and portals leading to rewards hidden on each path. There are even some Klues leading to even more bonus chests in some of the Mesas.
What’s the secret to defeating Hellfire Scorpion for the Nether Stone
The secret to defeating Hellfire Scorpion and obtaining the Nether Stone in Mortal Kombat 1 lies in patience and strategy. Players recommend holding down attack buttons steadily rather than rapidly tapping them to land consistent hits. An effective tip is to use the Hoarfrost augment, which can make the fight easier by slowing Scorpion down. To reach Hellfire Scorpion, you must first complete all other Mesa bosses in the Season of the Spectre, excluding Gateway Portal and Wu Shi Academy, then face him in the Fire Temple Mesa. The fight is challenging, with Scorpion having multiple health bars and armor phases, so activating super armor or other defensive buffs before the battle can help. Once defeated, you receive the Nether Stone, which unlocks all fiery gates across the invasion maps, granting access to rare post-game content and rewards.
What specific attack patterns should I watch for when fighting Hellfire Scorpion
When fighting Hellfire Scorpion, watch for these key attack patterns and tactics:
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Flame Aura Activation: Hellfire Scorpion uses a Flame Aura that extends combos and deals chip damage. This aura also increases his damage output temporarily and acts as a counter tool, forcing you to be cautious about your approach and timing.
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Fireball Attacks: He frequently uses fireballs that can be dash or run cancelled, creating pressure and chip damage. The fireball has a slow startup but can be mixed with other attacks or teleports to keep you guessing.
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Teleport Surprise: Hellfire Scorpion often teleports to close distance quickly, followed by a barrage of basic attacks, flame aura, or hellfire moves. This makes spacing crucial and demands readiness to block or counter sudden close-range aggression.
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Anti-Air and Counter Running: The Flame Aura can recapture opponents who jump at him, making jump-in attacks risky. Also, he can counter running approaches, so baiting and whiff punishing are effective strategies against him.
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Burn and Damage Over Time: His attacks apply burn effects that stack and cause damage over time, which can also prevent you from charging special or ultimate abilities, adding pressure to end the fight quickly.
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Combo Links and Mind Games: Hellfire Scorpion’s moves require high execution, including run cancelling and 1-frame links, making his offense unpredictable and punishing defensive mistakes severely.
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Anti-Air Counters: Watch for his back two and stand one attacks used as anti-air tools to punish your jump-ins. He can also low-profile some attacks with down four, countering overheads and projectile setups.
In summary, expect a mix of ranged fireballs, sudden teleports, flame aura counters, and burn damage stacking. Patience, baiting attacks, and careful timing to avoid his anti-air and counter moves are crucial to surviving and defeating Hellfire Scorpion.
